State takes custody of Kolten Slover
Anne Warfield
State takes custody of Kolten Slover
By STEPHANIE POTTER -- H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR -- Eight-year-old Kolten Slover was placed in state custody
Wednesday after a Macon County judge ruled there was probable cause to
believe he has been abused or neglected while in the custody of his
paternal aunt.
Kolten is the son of Michael Slover Jr. and murder victim Karyn Hearn
Slover. The child was at the center of the recent trial that ended
with the conviction of his father and his paternal grandparents on
first-degree murder charges in connection with the 1996 shooting death
and dismemberment of his mother.
Prosecutors contended throughout the trial that Michael Slover Jr. and
his parents, Jeannette and Michael Slover Sr., killed Karyn Slover to
prevent her from leaving the state with the boy to pursue a modeling
career.
Wednesday, Macon County Associate Judge Scott B. Diamond ruled the boy
will be placed in foster care until a July hearing to determine
whether he has been abused or neglected by Mary Slover.
Mary Slover adopted the boy in April 1999, eight months before her
brother and parents were indicted on murder charges. They had been
living in Missouri.
In a hearing that lasted several hours, attorneys for the state argued
Kolten has become detached and needs counseling. They also argued Mary
Slover had knowledge of the crime.
"Our position is she may not have been directly involved in the
murder, but she certainly was aware of the events on Sept. 27, 28 and
29 of 1996," said Macon County Assistant States Attorney Mary Bolton.
Attorneys for Mary Slover and Michael Slover Jr. argued the state's
evidence was essentially the same as it was during a March 2000
hearing in which a judge refused to remove Kolten from Mary Slover's
care. Mary Slover testified Wednesday after Diamond warned her of her
right against self-incrimination.
Mary Slover described Kolten as a normal, well-adjusted child with
several friends. She said he's an average student who has been in Boy
Scouts and played soccer.
Mary Slover said she does not believe her brother or parents committed
murder. She said Kolten has been seeing a counselor since last fall.
"He was missing his grandparents and dad," she said. "He was feeling
sad about it."
Under questioning by First Assistant State's Attorney Jack Ahola, Mary
Slover said she did not tell the judge in the adoption that her
brother and parents were suspects in the murder of the boy's mother
because she did not know they were suspects.
"I knew they had been questioned, but nobody said they were suspects
at that time," Mary Slover said.
Diamond also raised questions about that adoption, saying there was
reason to believe a fraud had been committed against the Sangamon
County court that allowed it.
"If I was the trial judge doing the adoption, I would have wanted to
know," Diamond said. "I would think that would be a little bit
relevant."
When the ruling was read, Mary Slover's eyes welled up with tears. She
declined further comment after the hearing.
Her attorney, Dan Davlantis of Springfield, and Slover Jr.'s attorney,
Joseph Vigneri, said they plan to appeal immediately. Both vehemently
argued during the hearing that Kolten should remain with Mary Slover.
"It is absolutely repulsive to me that the state in this situation
wants to rip away this child from the only thing that he's got left,"
Vigneri said.
Kolten was taken into the custody of the Illinois Department of
Children and Family Services on Monday during a visit to his maternal
grandparents, Larry and Donna Hearn of Decatur.
Larry Hearn testified that during monthly visits with him and his
wife, Kolten frequently won't answer questions about school or
friends. He also said the boy has been told it was the Hearns' lies
that resulted in his father and paternal grandparents being arrested.
Under questioning by Vigneri, Hearn said Kolten did not tell him that
Mary or Slover Jr. told him the Hearns lied, but he's "got to get it
somewhere."
After Wednesday's hearing, Hearn said he was "delighted" with the
ruling. He said being put in a neutral location would give Kolten the
opportunity to begin to heal.
"That's exactly what we wanted to happen," Hearn said. "Now he's going
to have an opportunity to get treatment."
Hearn said in the future, he and Donna are "absolutely willing" to
take custody of the boy.
"If we were given the opportunity, we would take it," he said.
When Mary Slover adopted the boy, Slover Jr. retained his parental
rights. But those rights might be in question following his conviction
for killing his ex-wife. Bolton said during the hearing that the
murder of a spouse is evidence that can be used to terminate parental
rights in Illinois.
Slover Jr. and his parents are scheduled to be sentenced June 28. They
already have announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Stephanie Potter can be reached at 421-7984.
http://www.herald-review.com/rednews/2002/05/30/build/Local_News/localnews1.php
--
Anne Warfield
indigoace at goodsol period com
http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
Jane Cactus
"Anne Warfield" <indi...@aolxxx.com> wrote in message
news:3cf856b1...@news.earthlink.net...
I'm glad this is being reviewed. That child was stolen and put up for
adoption by murdering his mother, and I think his adoptive mother knows it.
And she didn't know her brother and parents were suspects - what crap. But
on the off chance she didn't know, and if she has a genuine bond with the
child... I dunno. What is best for this child at this point? I sure wouldn't
have any idea.
JC
Anne Warfield
<jonesi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I'm glad this is being reviewed. That child was stolen and put up for
>adoption by murdering his mother, and I think his adoptive mother knows it.
>And she didn't know her brother and parents were suspects - what crap. But
>on the off chance she didn't know, and if she has a genuine bond with the
>child... I dunno. What is best for this child at this point? I sure wouldn't
>have any idea.
>JC
>
I don't see any truly good decisions coming out of this, only bad and
less bad. Kolten undoubtedly loves his father and his adoptive
mother, and probably has no memory of Karyn Slover, yet it would be
wrong to wave a hand and dismiss her murder.
Glad I'm not deciding this one.
Nancy Rudins
Me too. I wondered why Michael Slover's sister adopted
Kolten when he had a surviving parent? Seems strange
to me.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--
There's nothing you can post that can't be posted.
Nothing you can mail that can't be mailed.
Nowhere you can ftp that isn't where you're meant to ftp.
It's easy. Nancy Rudins http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/People/nrudins/
tiny dancer
"Nancy Rudins" <nru...@kitsch.ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote in message
news:PeKK8.11733$U7.1...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu...
I imagine to get him out of the state he was living in and to a state that
didn't allow 'grandparents visitation'......thought I'd read that somewhere
on here?? I'd call it a sign of guilt, anticipating 'something' might come
up about the death of his wife, so the father thought he could avoid the
child going to the maternal grandparents by having his sister adopt him
before any arrests.
td
Anne Warfield
That would be my bet. Also, one of the articles stated that Michael
Slover did *not* give up his parental rights, so he didn't lose
anything by having Mary Slover adopt Kolten.
tiny dancer
That's what's known as keeping it 'all in the family.' I sure am glad they
were convicted. Wonder what his sister is like? One has to have a negative
opinion of someone who comes from a family that could commit a crime such as
this one. And also be a party to it in a way by adopting the child.
There's no way I believe the sister didn't know about the crime, even if it
was afterwards.
td
Nancy Rudins
"tiny dancer" <tinyda...@hotmail.com> writes:
>
>
>That's what's known as keeping it 'all in the family.' I sure am glad they
>were convicted. Wonder what his sister is like? One has to have a negative
>opinion of someone who comes from a family that could commit a crime such as
>this one. And also be a party to it in a way by adopting the child.
>There's no way I believe the sister didn't know about the crime, even if it
>was afterwards.
>
>td
>
>
If the sister hadn't adopted Kolten, I might have given her
more of the benefit of the doubt. After all, most family
members can't be judged by the crime one family member
comitted. In this case, though, the entire Slover
family seem as though they'll just go along with
whatever anyone does, if not actively participate
like Michael's parents did. Like you said, I don't
believe the sister didn't know anything about the
crime and attempted cover-up.
What a case! I'd sure like to see Ann Rule write
a book about this one.
Kind regards,
Nancy